Marie worked out at Lifetime Fitness five nights a week. One day while she was lifting weights by the dumbbell rack, she was approached by Ali, who said he was new to America and complimented her physique and workout skills. Marie was polite but she decided to stop lifting weights and head towards the treadmills found on the other side of the gym. Ten minutes later, Ali got on a treadmill right beside her even though twenty others were available. Ali was clearly flirting with Marie to such a degree that Marie told him to stop, respect her space, and quit making her feel uncomfortable. Ali apologized and walked away. The next evening, Ali friend requested her on Facebook and sent her messages for her response. Marie told Ali to leave her alone and began to fear for her safety. It gets worse... Ali started showing up to her work at Chik-Fil-A, where she brought food to customers in the parking lot. He never ordered anything and sat there for two hours watching her. Later that night at her home, Ali's car was seen on her street parked two houses away from her own. Marie told her parents who then immediately called the police. The police arrived, questioned Ali, and arrested him. Ali never verbally threatened her.

Question

What crime(s) did Ali commit?

a
Stalking
b
Assault
c
No crime was committed
d
Bullying

Answer 1

The most appropriate answer would be:

a Stalking

Stalking involves a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention and contact that causes a person to feel afraid or harassed. In this scenario, Ali's actions, including following Marie to her workplace, lingering in her vicinity without legitimate reason, and showing up in her neighborhood after she explicitly told him to leave her alone, constitute stalking behavior.